Siddiqui terms Imran’s letter to COAS nothing but a charge sheet

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary leader of the PMLN in the Senate and Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs Senator Irfan Siddiqui said the so-called letter written by Imran Khan to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is nothing but a charge sheet that reflects the old mindset of the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regarding the military.

“At a time when the armed forces are shedding blood in the war against terrorism, with soldiers and officers being martyred, writing such a letter and claiming that a gap has emerged between the public and the armed forces is deeply regrettable. Not only will this letter not receive a response, but it won’t even be acknowledged,” he said during a talk show on a private television channel.

Irfan Siddiqui stated that no one has seen or read this letter yet. He quipped, “Who knows in which pigeon’s beak it is and when it will land on which ledge.” Irfan Siddiqui revealed that Imran Khan had also written a letter to General Asim Munir in early 2023, which was delivered to the Army Chief through former president Arif Alvi, but it too received neither acknowledgment nor a response.

Senator Siddiqui recalled that senior politician Javed Hashmi was sentenced to a long prison term for reading a letter related to the military. He said that this so-called letter is evidence of the PTI founder’s deep frustration and anxiety.

“They knock on one door, then another, sometimes start negotiations, and then abruptly change course without any explanation. It’s unclear who these people are or where they are sitting, who want to achieve their goals by writing such letters, and Imran Khan, without thinking, declares them as his own.”

Senator Siddiqui emphasized that Imran Khan should realize that his party has only one path forward, and that is the path of serious negotiations. “Writing aimless letters has not benefited them in the past, nor will it now”, he remarked.